Nathalee Paolinelli
From Vancouver, Canada
Nathalee Paolinelli is a ceramic artist based in Vancouver, Canada, whose work explores the delicate balance between fragility and resilience found in the natural world. Embracing the unpredictability of clay and fire, she willingly places each piece in the hands of the kiln, allowing chance to become an essential part of the creative process. Through tearing, pinching, and intuitive hand-building techniques, she creates sculptural ceramics that celebrate imperfection, texture, and transformation.
Inspired by the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, Nathalee's work draws from the quiet beauty of lichen clinging to rock faces, weathered shorelines, brittle coral, barnacles, fungi, and the organic patterns found in forests and along the coast. Rather than replicating nature, her pieces evoke its essence—capturing the tension between softness and strength, permanence and decay.
Paolinelli's heritage reflects both her Italian roots and her connection to the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Raised in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, by her young parents, her creative path began in photography before expanding into painting and, ultimately, ceramics. A competitive swimmer in her youth, she later moved to Vancouver to train, eventually exchanging the discipline of the pool for the freedom of the studio.
Each vessel is handcrafted in small batches, embracing subtle variations that make every piece one of a kind. Whether functional or sculptural, Nathalee's ceramics are designed to foster connection—to nature, to craftsmanship, and to the quiet rituals of everyday life
